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International News NetworkWed, 21 Feb 2018 16:59:46 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.3Trump Proposes Banning Devices that Make Some Guns More Lethalhttp://www.thevoicetimes.com/trump-proposes-banning-devices-make-guns-lethal/
http://www.thevoicetimes.com/trump-proposes-banning-devices-make-guns-lethal/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 16:59:46 +0000http://www.thevoicetimes.com/?p=50917WHITE HOUSE — After recommending a ban on devices that can make firearms more lethal and calling for stronger background...

WHITE HOUSE — After recommending a ban on devices that can make firearms more lethal and calling for stronger background checks on gun buyers, U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting a “listening session” Wednesday at the White House with students, parents and teachers who have been victimized by mass shootings in America.

Among those taking part in the session are students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where a former student last Wednesday killed 17 people. More than 100 of the school’s students are also rallying Wednesday at Florida’s state capitol to call for gun control reforms.

WATCH: Trump on bearing arms

Trump on Tuesday termed the shootings “an evil massacre” and later on Twitter said Republicans and Democrats both “must now focus on strengthening Background Checks!”

Bad ratings @CNN & @MSNBC got scammed when they covered the anti-Trump Russia rally wall-to-wall. They probably knew it was Fake News but, because it was a rally against me, they pushed it hard anyway. Two really dishonest newscasters, but the public is wise!

Whether we are Republican or Democrat, we must now focus on strengthening Background Checks!

In his first extensive public remarks on the Florida school shooting, Trump declared “school safety is a top priority for my administration,” adding he will meet with state governors next week to discuss the topic.

“We’re working very hard to make sense of these events,” Trump said to law enforcement members and other first responders during a White House ceremony. “We’re going to come up with solutions. It’s been many, many years, and there have been no solutions.”

The president unveiled a set of proposed regulations, including a ban on bump stocks — attachments that allow semi-automatic guns to be fired faster — that were used in the shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, last October that killed 58 people and wounded 851 others.

“Just a few moments ago, I signed a memorandum directing the attorney general to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns,” Trump said Tuesday, adding that such regulations will be finalized “very soon.”

The White House is also saying age restrictions are on the table for the most popular semi-automatic rifle in the country. The administration indicated it is open to universal background checks for gun owners.

Text of the memo also includes criticism of Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama.

“Although the Obama Administration repeatedly concluded that particular bump stock type devices were lawful to purchase and possess, I sought further clarification of the law restricting fully automatic machine guns,” Trump said in the document.

In this Jan. 11, 2018 photo, a semi-automatic rifle at right that has been fitted with a so-called bump stock device to make it fire faster sits on a table at the Washington State Patrol crime laboratory in Seattle.

“Although I desire swift and decisive action, I remain committed to the rule of law and to the procedures the law prescribes,” the memo added. “Doing this the right way will ensure that the resulting regulation is workable and effective and leaves no loopholes for criminals to exploit.”

The Trump administration and lawmakers are facing a backlash — including from some of the student survivors of the latest school mass shooting — that they are too focused on the mental health of gunmen rather than the weapons they carry.

It has been noted by gun control advocates that many teenagers in America can legally purchase an AR-15 type assault weapon before they’re eligible to vote or drink alcohol. Twenty-eight of the 50 states have no minimum age requirement for owning a rifle.

“I think that’s certainly something that’s on the table for us to discuss and that we expect to come up over the next couple of weeks,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded at the first press daily briefing in a week, when asked if Trump believed there should be an age limit for the purchase of assault rifles like the one used in the Florida school shooting.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders answers a question as reporters raise their hands during the daily news briefing at the White House, Feb. 20, 2018, in Washington.

“The president has expressed his support for the efforts to improve the federal background check system, and in the coming days, we will continue to explore ways to ensure the safety and security of our schools,” added Sanders.

Millions of gun owners, who support the National Rifle Association and other organizations that fight against restrictions on such weapons, believe that the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees unfettered access to guns.

In the 2016 elections, the NRA gave $54 million in political donations, much of that during the presidential race.

It is not unusual for some members of Congress to have individually received hundreds of thousands of dollars — even millions — from the NRA. While some Democrats are also recipients of the association’s money, the top benefactors currently are from the Republican Party._ VOA

Rockets and barrel bombs dropped by pro-regime forces have killed dozens of people on the fourth day of an intense assault on the besieged opposition enclave of eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus.

Terrified residents were sheltering in caves, dugouts and basements, as a rain of explosives hit homes, roads and hospitals. Monitoring groups say the attack has been among the most intense in a war already marked by extreme brutality.

“Just a cup of water or a piece of bread may cost a man his life because he is under attack from missiles,” said Dr Fayez Orabi, one of the doctors in East Ghouta. “They cannot get out of their shelters.”

The attacks have killed over 250 civilians, including at least two dozen on Wednesday morning, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. More than 1,200 others have been injured, a toll people on the ground say has been exacerbated by attacks on hospitals, clinics and ambulances.

There has been widespread condemnation from the United Nations and politicians around the world, but without any action to halt or lessen the bombardment. “It is a miserable situation, the whole world just watching us,” said Orabi.

Pilots circling overhead are using ambulances for targeting, following them from bomb sites to locate temporary medical centres, he claimed.

Photographs and videos sent from inside the enclave, home to about 400,000 people, showed bloody, fractured bodies and the aftermath of the strikes. In one a weeping father seizes his son’s tiny body from the bed of a truck taking it to burial, for one last embrace.

“We are not just numbers, we are human beings,” said one activist. “We have the right to live in peace and [have a say] in who governs Syria. Bashar al-Assad is a war criminal and must be held accountable.”

Quick guide

What is happening in eastern Ghouta?

The surge in killing in Ghouta came amid reports of an impending regime incursion into the area, as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad look to regain control of a a rebel stronghold that was once the capital’s breadbasket.

“The offensive has not started yet. This is preliminary bombing,” a commander in the coalition fighting on behalf of Assad’s government told Reuters. The ground campaign will aim to stop rebels using the area to target eastern Damascus, he added.

State media have reported two people wounded in Damascus by rebel shelling on Wednesday, after at least six people died on Tuesday. Without planes or helicopters though, rebel attacks on government strongholds are usually much less bloody than pro-regime bombing of areas held by their opponents.

Government forces and their Russian and Iranian supporters, pushing for a outright military victory rather than a negotiated settlement to the war, have repeatedly used bombing campaigns on civilian targets to help seize rebel territory.

That pattern is now repeating in Ghouta, where civilians were already vulnerable. The area has been besieged since 2013, aid workers had warned of shortages of food medicine and other basic necessities before the latest attack, and attacks over the three months leading up to this week’s attacks had killed 700 people.

Amnesty International said “flagrant war crimes were being committed on an “epic scale” in eastern Ghouta.

Diana Semaan, the charity’s Syria researcher, said: “People have not only been suffering a cruel siege for the past six years, they are now trapped in a daily barrage of attacks that are deliberately killing and maiming them, and that constitute flagrant war crimes.”

Russia denied any role in the attacks on Eastern Ghouta, after a US official accused Moscow of taking part in bombing raids, Reuters reported.

“These are groundless accusations. It is not clear what they are based on. No specific data has been given. We do not agree (with them),” said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov in response to a US briefing saying that Russia was responsible for the attacks.

Eastern Ghouta is named as a “de-escalation” safe zone, agreed by Russia, Iran and Turkey in peace talks. However fighters based there include a few from a former al-Qaida affiliate, which is not covered by the truce deals, apparently giving the government formal reason to launching attacks.

The bloodshed in Ghouta came as government forces also arrived into Kurdish-held areas in northern Afrin province. Assad’s fighters were invited into areas that they had lost several years ago by Kurds desperate for help fighting off a Turkish-supported offensive.

The mix of forces on the battlefields of northern Syria has raised fears that proxy wars could escalate into more intense confrontation, after years of failed international efforts to pursue a negotiated settlement.

The assortment of groups facing off across various frontlines include Islamist Syrian rebels, US backed radical-left Kurds, Iranian-backed militias, Turkish supported fighters and Syrian government troops._ The Guardian

NEW DELHI: China’s official military website has posted four high resolution images of Chinese military aircraft involved in military training activities over the Tibetan plateau. In an article, Global Times, a mouthpiece for the government in Beijing, said “China is upgrading its Western Theater Command in order to confront any threat from India.”

According to the Global Times article, which has now been re-posted on english.chinamil.com.cn — a website sponsored by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army — the J-10 and J-11 jets which have been shown were filmed a week ago and are attached to an aviation brigade under the PLA Western Theater Command, which has operational control over the boundary with India. The article quotes Song Zhongping, a military affairs commentator, who says, “With India importing new jets, China will continue strengthening its fighter jets in the Western Theatre Command.”

While the report on the Chinese Air Force exercising in the Tibet region is not new, it is significant that images of these exercises have been released in public — an indicator of Chinese defence preparedness in a region where geography traditionally favours operations of the Indian Air Force.

J-11 fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command taxi on the runway during an aerial combat training exercise in Western China on Feb.13, 2018.

In a document called “The Dragon’s Claws: Assessing China’s PLAAF Today,” Sameer Joshi, a former Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 pilot, has written that the altitude of China’s main airbases “along with the prevalent extreme climatic conditions seriously restrains the performance of aircraft, which reduces the effective payload and combat radius by an average of 50%”.

In simple terms, the lower density of air at Chinese air bases in Tibet means that jets like those shown by China’s military website would enter a fight with the IAF at a significant severe disadvantage.

A J-10 fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command taxies on the runway during an aerial combat training exercise in Western China on Feb.13, 2018.

The IAF, for its part, operates jets in the northeast from bases such as Tezpur, Kalaikunda, Chabua and Hasimara, which are located near sea-level elevations in the plains. Therefore, “the IAF has no such restrictions and will effectively undertake deep penetration and air superiority missions in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.”

Both India and China are in the process of upgrading their air forces, with India acquiring 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, the first of which will be delivered in 2019. China, meanwhile, has officially deployed its indigenous J-20 stealth fighters to frontline squadrons. The J-20, which first flew in 2011, has been spotted at high-altitude Tibetan airfields for tests, though there are no reports of its deployment in the region which faces India._ All India

Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations by the Financial Action Task Force, a measure that officials fear could hurt its economy.

Pakistan has been given a three-month reprieve by a global watchdog over a U.S.-led motion to put the South Asian country on a terrorist financing watchlist, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said late on Tuesday.

Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a measure that officials fear could hurt its economy.

FATF member states have been meeting this week in Paris, where it was expected that they would decide on a U.S. motion, backed by Britain, France and Germany, to have Pakistan added to the so-called ‘grey list’ of countries which are not doing enough to comply with terrorist-funding regulations.

Mr. Asif, who is currently on a visit to Russia, tweeted late on Tuesday that Pakistan’s “efforts have paid (off)” during a February 20 meeting on the U.S.-led motion, suggesting there was “no consensus for nominating Pakistan”.

He also suggested the meeting proposed a “three months pause” and asked for the Asia Pacific Group, which is part of FATF, to consider “another report in June”.

Pakistan earlier this year submitted a report about the progress it had made in curbing terrorist financing, but Washington submitted its motion before the Pakistan report could be discussed at the Paris hearing.

“Grateful to friends who helped,” Mr. Asif added. Two other Pakistani officials confirmed Pakistan had received a reprieve of three months.

Washington has been threatening to get tough with Islamabad over its alleged ties with Islamist militants, and last month President Donald Trumps administration suspended aid worth about $2 billion. Islamabad, which denies assisting militants in Afghanistan and India, has reacted angrily to U.S. threats of further punitive measures.

However, Pakistan’s government is concerned the FATF decision could hurt its banking sector, causing real financial pain to the economy just as a national election looms._ Reuters

More than 90 Nigerian schoolgirls are feared missing after Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram attacked a village in the northeastern state of Yobe, two sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

Their disappearance, if confirmed, would be one of the largest since Boko Haram abducted more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in 2014. That case drew global attention to the nine-year insurgency, which has sparked what the United Nations has called one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

A roll-call at the girls’ school on Tuesday showed that 91 students were absent, said the two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

ALSO READ

“I saw girls crying and wailing in three Tata vehicles and they were crying for help,” said a witness from the nearby village of Gumsa who was reportedly forced to show the insurgents the way out of the area and then released.

Reuters was unable to verify the witness’s account that Boko Haram had abducted girls in the attack on Dapchi on Monday evening. Nigerian police and the regional education ministry denied any abductions had taken place, but parents and other witnesses also told Reuters some girls were still missing.

ALSO READ

The two sources, several parents and other local witnesses who spoke to Reuters did so on condition of anonymity because they had been warned by Nigerian security and government officials not to disclose the disappearance.

Seven parents told Reuters their daughters were among the missing.

“I hope my daughter is not one of those abducted as we learned that over ninety of them were not seen after going through their register book,” one parent said.

SHOTS FIRED AT SCHOOL

The Boko Haram militants arrived in Dapchi on Monday evening in trucks, some mounted with heavy guns and painted in military camouflage, witnesses told Reuters.

The insurgents went directly to the school, shooting sporadically, sending students and teachers fleeing, the witnesses said, adding that some people had returned to Dapchi after spending the night hiding in the bush.

Nigerian security forces have begun a search and rescue mission, two people said.

Yobe state Police Commissioner Sumonu Abdulmaliki on Tuesday told reporters Boko Haram had not abducted any girls in Dapchi.

“They fired shots and left the town toward Gaidam… in the night, where they abducted three people,” he said.

The state ministry of education also said there had been no established case of abduction, but shut the Dapchi school for a week to allow students to be reunited with their families.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and two million forced to flee their homes in the northeast of Africa’s most populous nation since Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009.

Of around 270 girls originally abducted from their school in Chibok in April 2014, about 60 escaped soon afterwards and others have since been released after mediation. Around 100 are still believed to be in captivity.

Last month, the group released a video purporting to show some of the Chibok girls still in its custody, saying they do not wish to return home.

Aid groups say Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands more adults and children, many of whose cases are neglected._ Reuters

The statement mirrors previous Turkish media reports on the convoy’s retreat from the northern Kurdish-held region of Afrin, which has been targeted by Ankara as part of its Olive Branch operation against Kurdish militia in Syria. Footage emerged on Tuesday showing a convoy of fighters waving Syrian flags, moving towards the conflict zone.

“Any step for the benefit of the PYD/PKK in Afrin will be counted as a terrorist act and those responsible will be a legitimate target,” Kalin said during a news conference on Wednesday, as cited by the Turkish Anadolu news agency.

The official said that Ankara and Damascus are not engaged in direct talks, but some messages are being conveyed indirectly via Russia and Iran, which alongside Turkey are the guarantors of the Syrian peace process. However, Turkish intelligence may contact the Syrian authorities under “extraordinary conditions to solve certain issues,” Kalin added.

Turkey’s cross-border operation has been ongoing since January 20 and has “neutralized” a total of 1,780 “terrorists” as of Wednesday, according to the Turkish General Staff. Ankara insists that the offensive is solely aimed at wiping out terrorists, denying allegations that it has targeted civilians.

President Erdogan has repeatedly indicated he would like to expand the offensive and vowed to move into Manbij, where US forces supporting the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are stationed. The issue of US support for Kurdish forces in Syria has become a flashpoint in already-strained relations between Washington and Ankara. At a recent meeting in the Turkish capital, US Secretary Rex Tillerson and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu agreed that bilateral relations were at “a crisis point,” calling the situation around Manbij “a priority” that needed to be addressed urgently.

Damascus has repeatedly condemned the operation as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and accused Ankara of“aggression” against the Syrian people._ RT

]]>EXCLUSIVE: Iranian FM Zarif Says US Will Become Outsider if Breaks Nuke Deal

In an exclusive interview with Sputnik, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about the current situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that has been heatedly discussed by the US political establishment.

Sputnik: Mr. Zarif, you said at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) that Iran would respond to any violation of the JCPOA. Could you comment on the current situation around the agreement? Will European signatories join the US in an effort to break up the deal?

Mohammad Javad Zarif: The international community, except the Trump administration, Israel and two or three Middle Eastern countries, understands that the JCPOA is an international agreement and not a bilateral treaty between Iran and the US. International agreements can’t be altered unilaterally by one signatory. If such an action becomes a generally accepted norm, it will become hard to conclude any agreements. Countries that signed an agreement with the US would think of altering it after the change by the US government.

Thus, the situation, regarding the JCPOA goes beyond the agreement itself as it touches upon the international order. An international agreement will never be concluded if a country, even if it’s a superpower, can neglect its liabilities and break the deal.

Today, regarding the interest of the international community in solving various problems, countries won’t support the US approach toward the JCPOA as they have a common interest. On the contrary, they stand against such an approach. It’s clear that if the US decides to withdraw from the deal unilaterally or break the deal, it will isolate itself, becoming an outsider.

We regard this as a ground-breaking principle, but we should see how the European countries resist the US approach to the deal. They confirm that they will use all available efforts to preserve the agreement. Even during public speeches, European politicians say that, firstly, they won’t agree on any revision of the deal; secondly, they stand for preserving their own interests and agreements within the JCPOA. We should see, to what extent they will show their political will.

Sputnik: The Iranian authorities have said that the country has a plan for a possible US unilateral withdrawal from the deal. What are Iran’s possible counter-measures?

Mohammad Javad Zarif: Of course, we don’t want to frighten anyone. However, we want everyone to think with a clear mind and pay particular attention when making decisions. Unfortunately, the US has never adhered to its liabilities within the JCPOA. If the US breaks the deal unilaterally, Iran has measures that won’t please the Americans. The scenario depends on US wisdom. I will say one thing — those, who possess any intellect, should be afraid of Iran’s possible measures.

Sputnik: US Intelligence and Security Command has announced recently that it began developing software, capable of analyzing emotional coloring of messages on Russian, Iranian and North Korean social networks and generate corresponding answers. It’s thought that the US Army plans to use botsto monitor messages on the world’s social networks and affect their users. You’re known as an active Twitter and Instagram user. What do you think of these plans, can the US affect Iranian Internet users?

Mohammad Javad Zarif: The US is always trying to use technological progress to carry out its destructive policy. This issue isn’t an exception. In this case, it’s important to pay attention to the optimized use of cyberspace. Social networks have created an ability to break an information monopoly. The reality is that social networks destroy media-empires, mainly controlled by the West and Zionists.

It’s natural that the US uses different means to return the power of an information monopoly to itself. That’s why it’s important for the people and the governments of our countries to use the cyberspace of social networks.

Of course, it’s a good possibility as social networks were able to break the information monopoly of the West and Zionists. We should use it the best way possible over time.

Sputnik: Finally, do you read Russian media, Sputnik particularly?

Mohammad Javad Zarif: Yes, within my abilities, of course, as I don’t know Russian. I receive some information from Russian media thanks to my colleagues, who know Russian. However, as Sputnik has an edition in Persian, I read it constantly._ Sputnik News

Was an honour & a pleasure to meet the Hon. Prime Minister of Canada, @JustinTrudeau & his lovely wife, Sophie.
Sir, your leadership in the discourse for ending gender discrimination serves as constant inspiration to us all.

@JustinTrudeau such a pleasure and honour meeting you sir. Your relatability, grace and charm was most endearing and its easy to see why you are the Pride and toast of Canada.Have a lovely rest of the tour.

]]>http://www.thevoicetimes.com/justin-trudeau-parties-bolly-celebs-india-trip/feed/0US urges Taliban to speak with Kabul first if they want peace talkshttp://www.thevoicetimes.com/us-urges-taliban-speak-kabul-first-want-peace-talks/
http://www.thevoicetimes.com/us-urges-taliban-speak-kabul-first-want-peace-talks/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 11:41:46 +0000http://www.thevoicetimes.com/?p=50892WASHINGTON: The United States urged the Taliban on Tuesday to speak...

]]>US urges Taliban to speak with Kabul first if they want peace talks

WASHINGTON: The United States urged the Taliban on Tuesday to speak with the Afghan government first if they want to hold peace talks with Washington.

“We have seen the Taliban statement. We will know the Taliban are serious about peaceful dialogue when they are willing to speak with the elected government of Afghanistan and end their brutal campaign of violence,” a State Department spokesperson told Dawn.

In an unexpected statement earlier this week, the Taliban reached out to the American people asking them to pressure President Donald Trump and “war-mongering” congressmen to end the near 17-year-old “occupation.”

The Afghan government, however, rejected the Taliban overture for peace insisting that the insurgent group needs to show its sincerity to peace by ceasing its attacks first.

The Taliban, who have influence over nearly half the country, launched a series of deadly attacks in Kabul in last month that killed and wounded hundreds.

“The Taliban have started the war and are continuing the war, if the Taliban want peace they should stop fighting,” Dawa Khan Menapal, a deputy spokesman of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, told reporters in Kabul this week.

“They keep killing innocent civilians — they should stop the battle and then reach out to Afghanistan not the Americans for peace talks.”

The demand for ceasing attacks also echoed in a US State Department’s statement issued in Washington. “The Taliban statement alone does not show willingness to engage in peace talks. The Taliban’s recent horrific terror attacks in Kabul speak louder than these words,” a State Department spokesperson said. “At this stage, everyone but the Taliban appears ready for peace.”

The US official noted President Ghani had made clear on numerous occasions that he was willing to commence a peace process. “If there are members of the Taliban that are ready to rejoin civilised society, they are welcome to be part of a reconciliation process,” he added.

The spokesperson noted that President Trump’s South Asia strategy, released last summer, had set conditions for a political settlement to end the war and “the onus of responsibility is now on the Taliban to demonstrate that they are ready to discuss peace.”

Supporting Kabul’s refusal to engage with the Taliban while the attacks continued, the US official said: “The Afghan government can only negotiate to end the war if the Taliban are ready. The recent attacks show this is not the case.”

The latest UN report on the situation in Afghanistan said that the Taliban were responsible for 42 per cent of the more than 10,000 Afghan civilian casualties in 2017.

After last month’s attacks, President Trump had ruled out peace talks with the Taliban, saying: “We don’t want to talk to the Taliban. We’re going to finish what we have to finish, what nobody else has been able to finish, we’re going to be able to do it.”- Dawn